I was moved and touched by this beautiful love story. Toni Blake wrote a complex and moving story with The One Who Stays. ~ Kitty – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Synopsis:
Summer Island has always been home to Meg Sloan. She runs the Summerbrook Inn, like her grandmother did, and she loves the laid-back pace of life and the close-knit community the island offers. Meg also loves Zack Sheppard, but what she doesn’t love is Zack’s refusal to commit to an exclusive relationship.
Seth Darden arrives on Summer Island in search of summer work, but also in search of something else—his past. There are secrets buried at the Summerbrook Inn, secrets that forged the path of Seth’s life. But he wasn’t counting on falling for the lovely innkeeper, Meg.
When Meg meets Seth, she can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them, even though she feels like her heart has been torn in half. But if Zack won’t commit, should she take the leap with Seth? And can she even have a future with him if he can’t reckon with his past?
What a beautiful book this was. Filled with love, heart-break, a little intrigue and some amazing women who will make you proud. Meg grew up on Summer Island and wouldn’t trade her life for anything. She was in love and knew that she was loved back. Unfortunately, he won’t commit to her and she’s finding that it’s something that she needs.
Everyone assumes that her and Zack will be together forever but she can’t stand him sailing away when the mood strikes. Along comes Seth, the summer worker who seems to be a little bit more than meets the eye. Meg can’t help but notice how handsome and helpful he is. She also can’t help the spark that ignites whenever he touches her. But, her heart belongs to Zack. Or does it? Yes, Seth does have something he is hiding. How does he tell her that he’s looking for the one thing that would bring her the most joy without telling her how he knows where it is or how it got there? How does he explain the life he’s led or the real reason why he’s on Summer Island without breaking her heart and having her hate him? He’s fallen in love with that little girl that was running around the last time he was here and now he faces a real dilemma. Especially when his past comes walking through the front door of Summerbrook Inn. Now, he has no choice but to come clean, to face his past and hope that Meg accepts him in her future.
This story was so emotional. So beautiful. I give Toni Blake a lot of credit writing such a complex story line that had characters that were so intense and impassioned. The other women in the book are just as intriguing as Meg was and played such important roles in her life. Suzanne is an enigma and I am not sure about Dahlia yet. But, I am sure their stories are coming and we’ll figure it out. I cried and smiled in the end and silently thanked Toni Blake for writing such a beautiful love story. I was really moved and touched by this story and hope you all are too.
5 stars
Purchase from
Amazon